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Kobe SteelKBSTF 71 Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.37 as of Mar. 2026, which is 69% below its 10-year median of 4.39. GuruFocus rates KBSTF with a GF Score™ of 71/100 and a GF Value™ of $10.61 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 494 Steel companies, Kobe Steel ranks worse than 51.42% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
KBSTF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 2.95 Med: 4.39 Max: 18.89
Current: 2.98
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Kobe Steel was 18.89. The lowest was 2.95. And the median was 4.39.
KBSTF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 51.42% of 494
companies
in the Steel industry
Industry Median: 2.865
vs KBSTF: 2.98
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Kobe Steel Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Kobe Steel Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Steel subindustry, Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Kobe Steel Debt-to-EBITDA vs Steel Industry
For the Steel industry and Basic Materials sector, Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Kobe Steel (KBSTF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.37 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kobe Steel. This is 69% below median its historical median of 4.39. Over the past decade, Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 2.95 to 18.89. According to the industry distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #254 out of 494 companies in the Steel industry, placing it in the top 51.4%.
Is Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.37 is 69% below median its 10-year median of 4.39. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 2.95 to a high of 18.89. The Steel industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.87. Kobe Steel's value of 1.37 is 52.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #254 out of 494 companies in the Steel industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Kobe Steel has a GF Score™ of 71/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kobe Steel's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to NUE and STLD?
According to the Steel industry distribution chart, Kobe Steel ranks #254 out of 494 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Kobe Steel in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.87. Kobe Steel's value of 1.37 is 52.2% below this benchmark. Historically, Kobe Steel's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 2.95 to 18.89 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.39 vs. the industry median of 2.87, Kobe Steel has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Steel company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Steel companies is 2.87, based on 494 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.37 is 52.2% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kobe Steel. For the Steel industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.87 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kobe Steel's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.37, which is 69% below median its own 10-year median of 4.39. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kobe Steel stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kobe Steel (KBSTF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $10.61, compared to a current price of $11.28 — trading 6.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.37, which is 69% below median its 10-year median of 4.39 and 52.2% below the Steel industry median of 2.87. Kobe Steel's overall GF Score™ is 71/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kobe Steel (KBSTF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.37 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Kobe Steel (KBSTF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kobe Steel stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $11.28 is trading 6.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $10.61.
GuruFocus considers Kobe Steel to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for KBSTF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 1.37 (69% below median its 10-year median of 4.39)
GF Value™: $10.61 vs. price of $11.28 (6.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 52.2% below the Steel median (#254 of 494)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KBSTF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kobe Steel Ltd engages in the manufacture, production, and sale of iron and steel. The company operates through seven segments. The Construction Machinery segment offers excavators, cranes, loaders, and workboats. Electric Power supplies electricity through group companies. Engineering handles plants for steel, petrochemicals, nuclear, water, and waste treatment, along with civil engineering and transport systems. Machinery provides compressors, engines, refrigeration, heat pumps, chemical and rubber machinery, and specialty materials. Materials include steel, aluminum, titanium, copper, and forged products. Steel & Aluminum delivers rolled products, plates, wires, and special steels, while Welding covers electrodes, flux, robots, power sources, and related services.
71GF Score
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